A MAN was brutally beaten by a gang armed with baseball bats, a sledgehammer and a knife.

Police said the 38-year-old suffered a fractured skull, punctured lung and two broken legs during the brutal assault by three men in Colne Road, Brierfield.

Last night police said he was seriously ill but stable in Royal Blackburn Hospital.

An off-duty nurse gave the man, who has not been named, emergency first until paramedics arrived.

Chief Inspector Jeff Brown, of Pendle Police, said: “We were alerted to the fact that the incident had occurred at around 8.45pm on Monday and we were on the scene very quickly.

“It was a very nasty assault involving different weapons and an investigation has culminated in the arrests of these two men.

“People using weapons on the streets of Pendle is completely unacceptable and I want to be absolutely clear on that.”

A section of Colne Road was closed for more than an hour on Monday as police launched their initial investigation.

Scores of people gathered in the pouring rain, close to where the attack happened near the Co-operative shop.

The incident comes less than two weeks after a man was attacked close to the Dixy Fried Chicken and Pizza takeaway, in Burnley Road.

Police said one line of inquiry was that the two assaults, involving Asian men, could be linked.

Mr Brown said: “I think all lines of inquiry are open and we are not currently in a position to say what the motive was.

“But it was a very serious assault and a significant investigation is under way, so I would imagine we are going to be very busy."

Anybody with information about the incident should call police on 0845 1253545 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

* A 51-year-old man from Burnley and a 23-year-old man from Nelson have been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the assault and were in custody yesterday.

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